ATLANTA — The SheBelieves Cup wrote another chapter in what Atlanta can expect when the Copa America teams and supporters arrive in two months, and the World Cup in 2026.

Fans from around the country descended upon Centennial Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium to profess their love for the sport, embrace their national team and bond with their families. It was a cosmopolitan mix brought together to see the U.S. play Japan and Canada play Brazil in a tournament being hosted by the city of Atlanta for the first time. Added together, they set an attendance record of 50,644 for a U.S. women’s friendly as the city continues to establish itself as the soccer capital of the country.

There was a family from Seattle, who have never before been to Atlanta, here to support the U.S. women. There was a couple who live in Birmingham and who have traveled the world supporting the Japan men’s and women’s teams, waving their nation’s flag on the concourse. There was a fan of a specific Japanese player in the city for the first time and at his first live match from Los Angeles. There was a pair of moms and daughters from Columbus who were on their first sports trips together here because their daughters dream of one day playing for the U.S. There were two fans of Brazil, one who lives in Gainesville and the other from south Georgia, here to support their team and favorite player, Marta.

“In terms of women’s sports, I think we’re kind of defying the idea that people aren’t interested,” Angela Meekhof, who was here from Seattle and enjoying the pre-match festivities in Centennial Park with her daughter Piper and husband. “I think when given the opportunity, and the platform, people are very interested in sports. It’s really cool for her to see people who want to see women.”

Amy Weiss and Lauren Achtziger came from Columbus and were among the first to wait in line at Gate 1 to get into the stadium. Their daughters, Lacey and Emma, were hoping to meet their favorite players Alex Morgan and Sophia Smith before the match. They were on their first sports trips as mothers and daughters, who play for Concorde Fire.

“This will be a memory we can look back on if we get to play for the U.S. women,” Emma said.

Weiss said she appreciates players like Alex Morgan as a role model for her daughter. Morgan is a mother and one of the best players in U.S. history.

“You see her with her daughter, so they can see you be a mom, a woman and have everything,” she said. “You can achieve your dreams and have everything.”

Not all of the fans were there just for the U.S.

Clara Tzitas, a native of Brazil who is studying at Brenau in Gainesville, was here with Liz Gonzalez to support the Canarinhas, one of the nicknames for the women’s Brazil team. Danny Fujisawa traveled from L.A. to see the Japanese women and his favorite player Fuka Nagano play for the third time but the first time in the U.S.

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